Never lose hope
by liLIAnDM
Summary: What happens when Carol and Daryl, during a supply run, come across two strange people who claim to be the Evil Queen and Robin Hood? A little crossover sometime can take to the greatest revelation. My first attempt at crossover, give it a go!
1. Chapter 1

**So, hello everybody. What I am going to post in the next days is something I thought about I was going back home after work. I thought about my two most favourite couple and thought, why not? Well, here we go. Please read and leave a review. I obviously don't own neither of the show but I'd like it very much.**

 _ **Chapter 1**_

Carol and Daryl looked with concern to the little smoke cloud forming in front of them. They'd gone on a supply run to make sure Lil' Ass Kicker had enough food for a little time and to collect some other items their community needed. Alexandria was growing larger day by day, they harbored as much people as they could to have a better security of the city and more people to fight. But more people meant more food and strange requests.

Daryl still had problems with the new people so he took Carol with him, because she always have a way to calm him down and let him see reason. Well... that's what he kept saying to himself to justify his need to have her at his side during these runs. Her hair was growing back and he liked how they framed her face. She was more healthy and, with those see-through shirts she kept wearing, he was losing his mind. Not that he would ever tell her that, even after seeing her with Tobin, he still thought he was not enough for her. She deserved better.

Now here they were, in a supermarket clean of walkers (they made sure of that) looking for everything they needed when this strange cloud appeared in front of them. They had their guns ready, waiting for who knows what. After a couple of minutes the cloud vanished and they were looking at two strange human figures. Both seemed dressed with medieval clothes, but who was he to criticize? He looked at Carol who raised her eyebrows.

The woman looked around, her eyes fixing on the both of them "Where the hell am I?" she asked with an irritated voice. "Who are you two?"

The man next to her pointed his arch on them "Lower your weapons or I will shoot and I never miss the target" He said confidently.

Daryl was starting to get annoyed "How did you arrive here? What was that smoke, eh?"

Carol looked to one another for a good minute before asking "You're not from Georgia? Are you?"

The woman was good looking but she had this threatening face on her. "Georgia? We are in Georgia?" she asked going to the window to see outside.

"Yes, madam" Carol said. Daryl looked at her, eyebrows raised. "I take it you got lost... Where are you from?". She said lowering her gun and putting an hand on Daryl's arm to make him lower his crossbow too. Daryl followed her, he trusted her instinct but he wasn't going to let his guard down. The man lowered his bow too and took off his hood, reveling a man on his forty, a short beard adorning his face, blue eyes and trimmed hair.

"Forgive our manners" the woman snorted while he said in a clear foreign accent which caught Carol attention, Daryl could see it and didn't like one bit. "I am Robin and this is Regina Mills" he explained looking for a moment to his companion, still observing the woods outside. "We are not from here, as you can see." He gestured to his clothes. "We come from a far away land..."

Regina interrupted him "Robin, leave this two rednecks to their business... We can't waist time" she said going for the door but stopping when a walker hand bumped on the glass "What the hell...?"

Robin went to her, putting her behind him and went to inspect the walker.

"You really are from a far away land" Daryl mocked the stranger's accent, unsuccessfully if Carol had to say but she smirked anyway at his effort. "Where have you been all this time? Closed in a cave with your woman?"

"I am Queen, not a woman" said Regina, with her chin high.

"Those things don't exist anymore. We're all survivors in this world" Daryl said to them, turning his back to the three and looking for the items.

Carol looked at the woman who was now talking with the handsome man. They looked familiar in some way but she couldn't put his finger on it. "How did you arrive here, if I may ask, your majesty?" she said without a hint of mockery. Regina turned back to her, Robin following her with his eyes while looking at Daryl and his crossbow.

"You saw us. I used a little trick... Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Evil Queen of the Enchanted Forest and this is the infamous Robin of Locksley" .

"Ah, a loony! That's what we needed this morning!" Daryl said sassily while putting bottles of milk in his backpack, followed by biscuits and cereals.

"The Evil Queen is just a story, it doesn't exist such a thing". Regina looked at Robin who shrugged. She smiled at him and then extended her hand. Daryl and Carol looked at her hand from which a fireball was directed toward the opposite wall. Their jaws almost dropped to the floor in that moment. They heard Robin chuckling and saying "Behave, my love" before taking her hand.

"It must be a trick!" Daryl said taking hold of her other hand and looking for some kind of machine. Robin hands was on his chest in a second "Unhand her!" he said pushing him away. Daryl was about to strike him when Carol put herself between them.

"Stand down, men! No reason to fight." Robin made a step back standing next to Regina. "Ok, let's say I believe you, why are you here?" Carol asked.

"We didn't have to be here. I don't know how we ended up here. We should have been in Storybrook, Maine" Regina explained. She looked worriedly at her companion, looking for comfort. Robin squeezed her hand. "What are those...beasts outside?" he asked.

Daryl come to stand next to Carol "We call them walkers. A virus made a lot of people like them, there's no cure. We're trying to go North, there might be fewer of them" he explained trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Snow White's stepmother was standing in front of him.

"We need to leave" Regina said to Robin "We have to find him!" she sounded distressed. Robin nodded, clearly trying to form a plan on his mind.

"You leave now, you're dead" Daryl said, straight to the point. "There's an herd out there. You have to wait. Or you can always use your cloud of smoke and get lost".

Regina looked ready to throw another fireball so Carol spoke "What Daryl was trying to say, your majesty, is that you'll have to wait before you leave. We're going to stay here tonight, it's too dangerous trying to go back now. You may stay with us, if you want" Daryl was looking at her like she was crazy

Robin turned to Regina and said in a hushed voice "Regina,we should listen to them. You're too weak to use your magic again. We can camp here with them and tomorrow morning I can cook you breakfast before we go" he concluded with a playful smirk returned by the woman who squatted his chest. They seemed quite close, maybe lovers or maybe more. The only thing Carol knew was that they loved each other, you can see clear as day. For a moment she felt a pang of jealousy, looking lightly towards Daryl who was wearing his usual mask and looking at them too.

"Alright, we'll stay here. Thank you for your kindness" Regina said.

"You're welcome, your majesty. I am Carol and this is Daryl" Daryl grunted his answer to the stranger's greetings .


	2. Chapter 2

2°

Daryl and Robin went to find some sleeping bags. Carol and Regina wandered between the aisles looking for something to cook for dinner.  
"So" Regina said after a few minutes of silence "What are those creatures outside?"

"They're people, infected with some kind of virus." Carol answered "We don't know much, we pretty much try to survive and try to be back to normal, when it's possible" Carol really didn't know how to accept the fact that she was talking to a fairytales character. "Who are you trying to find, if I may ask?"

Regina looked sad all the sudden, looking intently at the can soup in her hands. "I am looking for my son, Henry" she said in a little voice not raising her head. "I have lost him".

Carol sensed the tears forming in her eyes. She knows how empty you feel when your child is not with you anymore, you feel a part of you missing and knowing it will never come back make everything worse. "I know what you are feeling." Regina finally raised her eyes "I have lost my little girl.. Sophia". She hated getting emotional in front of other people, but she couldn't prevent the single tear to escape her eyes

"I am sorry for your loss." Regina said "I left Henry in this world to save him but now he is in danger and I have to find him. I need to find him"

Carol nodded "Well, I hope he's fine. You'll find him, I am sure" she said with a smile. Regina returned it before going to the little fire built in the centre of the room and pulling out the contents of her can.

"So... does your friend always grunt and mock to everyone or is he reserving us this pleasure?" Carol laughed, it felt so foreign to her these days. She went to sit near Regina, stirring the soup in the pan and smiling a little.

"No. He's like that with everyone. It's nothing personal" she said, still smiling.

Regina observed her then raised her eyebrows, surprised "You and him are an item? God, I would never have guessed!"

"No no no! We're not... we're not together!" she was flushed. She saw Regina smirk and added "No, we're not. Daryl is... And I am so..." how could she describe their relationship when she had problem defining it herself?

"Mmh" Regina was intently looking at her "You know...I was not a good person. I still think I am not but Robin doesn't see me this way. I really don't know what he sees in me, honestly, but he was there for me since the moment we met. We fought too, we still do, but we always find a way to each other. So one night back home, I muster up the courage and kissed him. Not knowing if he was going to push me away or what. It's worth it, Carol. Risking something important to make something even better." Carol was listening to every word. She wanted so much to follow Regina's example but Daryl was not an easy man. His childhood was not the best one and he never really seemed interested in this kind of things.

"I am scared of losing him. I really am." she confessed in a low voice.

"I know. I was too. I don't usually share my past with other people but I can feel we have a lot in common. I think you've suffered enough, you need something good in your life and I think you grunting friend is going to be good for you. I don't usually take interest in other people business, but I say go for it. Try, Carol, before it'll be too late" She concluded. Carol looked at the woman seated regally on a little child stool and pondered about every word she said.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Robin was following Daryl's lead in the supermarket, looking at everything there was. Storybrooke didn't have such shops, it was a small city and people really didn't need a lot of things. They arrived at the camping section and he went for the sleeping bags looking at eberyone of them like a child in a candy store.

"How do you know what they are if you come from an enchanted forest?" Daryl asked sarcastically.

Robin examined two sleeping bags trying to decide what to take back to Regina. "Well, believe it or not, I lived in this world for a little while. I was a man of the forest, I still am. I had a camp in the woods with my men and we adjusted quite well thanks to this world technology" he said smiling.

"Mmh" daryl said, going on the other side of the section reading from the paper Carol give him to take some things they needed to bring back to their people.

"So...-Robin started- How do you survive to those.. beasts?"

"Kill 'em, bury 'em, burn 'em. It depends. We have to do with what we have". Daryl searched through some boxes looking for some new shoes, his were trashed and dirty with walkers' blood.

"Can I take a look to your crossbow? I am an arch man but I like the line of your weapon. Once I almost took Regina's head off with one of those" he tried a joke to make the conversation less awkward. This Daryl seemed a good man, shy, reserved, wary but he really couldn't blame him looking to the world they were living in.

"So, you and the queen are what?" Daryl asked passing his crossbow to the stranger. He felt he could be trusted, maybe because he lived in the forest too.

Robin chuckled "We are together. Soulmates. We are together for sometime now."

"A man of the wood with a queen. No offense man, but it's not usual" he said.

"Oh, it's not been easy, believe me. She was so closed off when we met but I knew since the beginning that there was something there. her life was not easy: her husband abused her and had no respect for her. When I met her she was wearing the Evil Queen mask but I couldn't stop thinking about her. When we came in her world I let her down, she give something very important to protect and I failed her. I apologized profusely and she kissed me! That was the moment I knew I would have done everything to keep her by my side. " He gave the crossbow back to Daryl, smirking "Sorry, I got carried away" and went back to choose something for him and Regina for the night. "What about you and Carol? You love each other too?".

Daryl almost dropped the box he had in his arms but tried to keep his straight face. He set down the box and began examinating some new arrows for him. Robin went back to business sensing his new friend would never answer when the other man began speaking "No, we are not together. She ain't interested...Things are good like they are" he said, lips close in a tight line. "She never could be" he added in an angry whisper.

Robin was looking at him, he noted how his shoulder tensed saying those words, how his head bowed in shame "She is a beautiful woman" he ventured only to be met by silence. "I bet you noted it too."

"Not blind" he simply answered.

"...A word of wisdom, my friend: time waits for nobody, especially in this world. If you care about somebody you have to let them know before it's too late. I consider myself lucky because I had a second chance with Regina and now I know I can't waste one single moment. And I won't." Daryl looked at Robin. He hated when people tried to make him see things he didn't want ,but thins strange guy had something about him. He liked him. Daryl knew Carol could be swept away from everyone with half a brain and a pair. Hell he saw how Tobin was whipped around her little finger and he could admit to himself, he was too. But he didn't know how to act. His brother and father weren't the best role model .He kind of grew up by himself, like an outcast, going to hunt when the boys his age were chasing skirts in town.

"I don't... I don't know how to make her..." How could he explain it to Robin without feeling like teenager idiot? He deprecated himself.

"Oh, my friend, I have learned women have a great intuition and they are so much braver and stronger than us. Carol obviously trust you with her life, I think she already know you care about her, she. You just have to make her understand how much"

"Easier said than done"


	4. Chapter 4

Night has fallen. Robin and Daryl dragged shelves around their little camp to make a cube. They scattered the floor with objects so they would hear the noise if something tried to come near them. Two little tents and a makeshift fire was in the middle of the cube. They ate the soup and some corned beef making little chat. Now Regina and Robin retired to their tent not before the queen had produced some strange light from her hands and then explained that she had casted a spell to protect them and to make sure they couldn't be heard from the outside.

Robin and Regina was settling in their tent, Regina had cast another protection spell around both of their tents. She didn't play well with others, they seemed right enough but better safe than sorry. "How can you consider this a reasonable solution for a kid, I still don't understand" she said to Robin.

He chuckled in response. "We're men of forest, Love. We lived all our lives this way. Roland likes it, I like it-... I hoped to talk you on a camp trip one of these days..."

Regina looked at him for a minute while he organized the little space they had. "I am sorry." she finally said.

"Sorry for what?" he asked finally turning toward her. She had a sad face.

"I have dragged you in this place. With those monsters outside. Roland is at home, I don't trust anyone with him... Well I obviously trust John but" she was bubbling, embarassed, and she knew it.

"Regina.. Regina.. stop, please" he said, taking her face in his hands and looking in her eyes. "I know what you mean but John will protect him at all costs. We are here to find Henry and we will. We will be a family."

Regina face softened and smiled. "I... thank you Robin."

"I'll always be at your side, my love. Always" She didn't know how to thank him so she just kissed him trying to pour all the emotions he stirred inside that kiss.

Robin smiled softly at her when they parted and said their bed was ready for the night, if she wished. They lied down next to eachother, Regina with her head on Robin's chest listening to his light breathing. "So, what do you think about our new friends?". He wasn't ready to sleep yet, he wanted a little time with his Queen.

She snorted "They hardly are our friends. We barely know them." Robin raised his head to look at her, eyebrows lifted. "Ok... I admit they aren't distastefull. He certainly is in need of a bath, though."

Robin laughed quietly. "Well, I can't disagree with you on that. I always had time for a bath in the river" he said sassily. "We talked before, in our hunting trip. He seems a good fellow, hardened by the world" For a few minutes neither of them spoke "I can feel your brain thinking. Help me out, love?" .

"I was thinking... I had a talk with Carol too"

"Awww you made a friend!" he teased and received a slap on his chest but he could see Regina's lips turning up amused.

"We talked... she seems quite taken by him but she won't do anything about him".

"Ah...I understand." Robin said nonchalantly.

"What you understand?" Regina asked propping herself on the elbow to look in his eyes, slightly illuminated by the light of the moon through the tent.

"I understand why you don't distaste them too much. She reminds you of yourself".

Regina looked at him, deciding to deny it but then thought against it. There was no point, Robin knew her better than she knew herself. "Probably. She's so scared of what might happen if she try something. Maybe she feel guilty toward her daughter."

"Has she a daughter?" Robin asked but when he saw a shadow on Regina face he understood. "Oh, I am sorry. Nobody should suffer the loss of a child." He said squeezing her lightly.

"Yes" she only said thinking about Henry, where he might be, how did he cope with this new world full of walking dead.

"We'll find him, my love. I swear." Robin promised her. She hugged him, trying to steal his hope and his strength.


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl was scanning the town outside. He had his crossbow near him, his stance was tensed. Carol had learnt to read him like a book by now.

"Relax Daryl. You and Robin made sure we hear if something try to come here" She said, sipping her first mug of tea after who know how long. She always enjoyed tea; often she and Sophia had their little tea party at home before Ed came back from work.

"Do you trust them?" he asked not turning toward her.

"I like them. They seem good people. We don't have enough of them nowadays."

"Do you believe to that bullshit they keep saying?" he sit down, taking a mug from her. He didn't really like tea but she made the effort to brew a a cup for him and he didn't want to waste it. Then it was cold in the market and some tea might warm him.

"Well.. she produced a fireball by her hand. It's not a trick you can learn..." she said looking at Daryl skeptical face "We see the dead walk everyday, why not believe at magic too?"

Daryl grunted his response and there were some minutes of silence. They liked that about their relationship: they could talk easily (as easy as you can talk with Daryl Dixon) but enjoy the downtime too.

Carol stirred her tea, then noted Daryl looking at her. "What?" Daryl didn't respond right away so she lost herself in her mind.

"You're beautiful" she heard Daryl's deep voice.

She blushed. She had never received a lot of compliments, Ed was certainly not that kind of man. She never expected something so blunt from Daryl neither. "Thank you" she said embarassed, looking into her mug.

"No need to thank me. I was simply saying what I see" he said like it was a daily occurrence throwing compliments at her. She had her fun teasing him about his looks and his character. She had always found him attractive, even more so with his short hair back in Atlanta.

"You're not bad yourself" she throw at him. Daryl, as she expected, brushed her off. "Why don't you believe me? I have accepted your compliment without protest, even if I don't see myself as beautiful. Why don't you ever believe me when I say I like you?" she was really interested in his answer.

Daryl kept his eyes on the fire and pondered about his next words. Will she understand him and his background? She seemed not a low class woman, they were just redneck. "My old man... kept saying me I was an ugly kid, nobody would ever want me... you know, the usual." he said sarcastically.

"Well, he didn't know shit" she exclaimed indignantly.

Daryl looked at her. She never swore, she was always calm and collected. He couldn't keep in the laugh that threatened to emerge and Carol looked at him smiling. "I knew sooner or later you would have started to talk like me"

Carol laughed too before lifting her head and finding him closer than she expected. She looked at his lips for a moment and then into his eyes. Daryl took that as a good thing and come closer still. He looked at her one more time, a question clear in his eyes but she made him forget all of his self doubt when she closed the distance between them and kissed him. A simple brush of lips against lips that had Daryl's heart pick up his rhythm. He didn't respond right away, surprised by her action and by the feeling exploding inside him.

"Carol..." he started to say. She misunderstood him, he could say, because her eyes turned sad and ashamed. So he did the only thing to reassure her, he kissed her sweetly again "I didn't want to stop...Well, I want to stop but I don't..."he was bubbling and Carol smirk said she knew it too. He smiled too, cheeks burning "I just wanted to say that I want to take it slow"

"Slower than we are going?"she asked still smiling.

Daryl turned serious. He decided, right in that moment, to open himself up to her and everything be damned. "I don't know how to do this" he confessed in a quite voice.

Carol studied him trying to understand the meaning of his words. Maybe he didn't have any serious relationship, maybe he was a one night stand guy. With a brother like Merle was possible but there was something about Daryl, since the beginning that screamed otherwise. "I am not good too. I married an abusive man after all." She said joking. But Daryl didn't smile back, not even a little.

She really didn't know what to thing. Was he re-thinking the whole deal yet? A single kiss and she scared him off? She got lost in her own mind when Daryl spoke again. "What I mean is..." he stood up, suddenly nervous she could tell. "I hadn't the best childhood. I grew up and wasn't really interested in girls, you know. I don't trust easily. I never..."

Carol stood up as well, understanding his words and stopping him with a hand on his arm. "We can go as slow as you want. There's no rush." Daryl seemed relieved of hearing this and put his forehead on hers, eyes closed. Carol felt her heart almost going out of her ribcage, seeing him this vulnerable but willing to take this leap of fate with her was something enormous and soomething she will always be grateful to him.


	6. Chapter 6

HAP

They woke up the next day, sun shining through the windows outlining some walkers still passing by the market. Daryl and Carol exited their tent quietly talking but stopped when they saw Regina and Robin. They had breakfast ready, just some croissant and instant coffee, and now they were hugging tenderly looking at the dawn.

Carol cleared her voice and they turned their head toward them.

"Good morning" Robin said "We roused early and thought of preparing a bit of breakfast. Regina made the croissant" He smiled at his lover.

"Thanks" Carol took one the fragrant croissant and took a bite "Oh God, it's delicious! How did you heat it up?" Regina raised her eyebrow, smirking "Right, you have magic. So... do you plan on going out today?"

"Yes, we must" Regina answered "I have to find Henry as soon as possible and take him home"

Daryl nodded before going to his backpack. He produced two knives and some arrows and gave it to Robin "Be safe and remember to shoot 'em in the head".

Robin took the guns and then shook his hand "Thank you, Daryl. That is very kind of you but you might need them better than us. Regina will took us to Storybrooke with magic and then we hope to find Henry quickly and go back home"

Daryl shook his head "Take 'em anyway. As a thank you." Robin studied him for a second before nodding his head and looking knowingly at Carol.

The men moved away to talk in hushed tones while going to look for something both the couple could need in their journey.

Regina looked at Carol's serene expression and her not well hidden smile. "So..something happened?" she asked.

Carol blushed but didn't answer looking at Daryl's retreating form.

"I am happy for you. You deserve it." she said.

"I have to thank you and Robin. Whatever he said to Daryl, it seemed it has worked. Last night we talked and... things went well."

Regina smiled at her. "He has his ways..." then she took Carol's hand in her "Never lose hope, Carol. Even in this strange world you have to keep the faith. Robin taught this."

"He is quite charming. Even Daryl likes him"

"Oh, he is a prize, I know" she said looking at him. "Listen, I have to thank you too, you gave us shelter tonight and not killed us when we appeared in the smoke"

"There's no need" Carol tried to say.

"No, there's. I can't do much for those things outside but I can provide you something. There is a backpack full of new knives for you and your people and some new guns. Daryl will have to train someone. They will be weightless for your journey back to your camp."Carol didn't know what to say but Regina kept going on."And then I thought to make you a personal thank you gift."She produced a little metal box and gave it to Carol. She opened it: it was a mirror and on the inside, beautifully written "Never lose Hope".

"Regina, it's beautiful" she said in awe. It was finely decorated with roses and arrows and Carol felt the tears in her eyes.

"It's not just a mirror. It's magical. We can use it to talk, should you need help I could come back and help you out... Or maybe you can call me to invite me to your wedding" She added with a smirk trying to lessen her gift. She didn't expect Carol's hug but she returned in noless. The boys were back and looking at them with soft eyes. "Thank you Regina. Thank you both for everything" Carol said again.

"It was our privilege to know two brave people like you, milady" Robin said kissing her hand. Carol blushed again while Daryl laughed outright at her. After a second they were alone in the market, the fairytale charatchers disappearing in a cloud of purple.

"So.. it's time." Carol said.

"Yes, it is" Daryl answered taking her hand in his and Regina's backpack in the other.


End file.
